INDIANAPOLIS -- One of my favorite players in this year's draft is Purdue defensive end Ryan Kerrigan.

He is an explosive player who plays with a relentless style. The knock on him is his size, but he measured in at just over 6-foot-3 here and he weighed 267 pounds -- plenty big enough to play down end in a 4-3.

Some 3-4 teams might want to move him to outside linebacker, but I see him being a force as a down end.

"I played a 4-3 defensive end in college, so I don't have too much experience with it," Kerrigan said. "But in my training for the combine I've been working on a lot of drops from a 3-4 linebacker standpoint."

Why take a player who does his best work going forward and make him go in the other direction? This kid has a chance to be a star pass rusher. Leave him as a 4-3 end.

INDIANAPOLIS – We’re still early in the workout portion of the combine, but the man whose workout numbers have generated the most buzz early on around Lucas Oil Stadium is Nevada tight end Virgil Green.

Green set the bar with a 42.5-inch vertical leap. The second highest leap among tight ends thus far is Cameron Jordan of USC, at 37.5 inches. Green also has the best broad jump thus far, 10’7”.

These numbers comparable to what Vernon Davis put up in 2006, though his 4.64 40-time is more middling. Green is rated as the No. 5 tight end by CBS Sports’ Draft Scout. Prior to the combine, he was projected to go in the mid-rounds.

Rob Housler of Florida Atlantic had the fastest 40 time (4.55). Jordan had the second fastest time (4.59).

In other tight end news, South Carolina’s Weslye Saunders, who was declared eligible for the draft just two weeks ago, is out with a broken foot. Saunders, a late round prospect, is CBSSports’ 11th rated tight end.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Got to go behind the ropes for a few minutes at the Combine on Saturday to meet with some NFL execs. Waiting at the bank of elevators located around the corner from the NFL Network set was Rex Ryan. Take a look at what the Jets head coach was wearing (photo courtesy of NFL.com):

The Newsome, of course, is Ozzie, the Browns legendary tight end. Ryan’s fashion choice for this day is somewhat peculiar only because Newsome is also the current GM of the Baltimore Ravens. Ryan worked for Newsome as the defensive coordinator in Baltimore.

After completing the bench press drill Friday (29 reps) and interviewing with a number of teams, former Southern California OT Tyron Smith has dropped out of the NFL combine because of an injury, according to NFL.com.

Smith told NFL.com’s Steve Wyche that he’s still rehabbing a knee injury and that he was advised by his trainers to wait until his Pro Day March 30 before going through a full workout. Apparently, he’s coming off meniscus surgery about eight weeks ago.

It’s an interesting move by Smith because he’s so highly ranked but also has questions following him. In the CBSSports.com prospect rankings, he’s the second-rated OT and No. 15 overall.

In the CBSSports.com draft guru's mock drafts, Rob Rang has him going with the 19th pick to the Giants, while Chad Reuter has him at No. 12 to the Vikings.

This was an important event for Smith (obviously), because he played right tackle in college but was expected to move to the left side in the pros. Though his talent is undeniable, there are questions about his maturity (check out Rang’s Big Board for more analysis).

Although he seems to have a legit reason for not finishing his workouts, this move probably won’t help his standing with teams.

INDIANAPOLIS -- So four of the power agents stood up together to show their unity for the NFL Players Association Friday?

What? Those guys would stab each other in the back in a minute.

Does anybody really believe that charade? Drew Rosenhaus, Joel Segal, Tom Condon and Ben Dogra, four power NFL agents, got up in front of their brethren during the annual agent meeting to show solidarity.

Nice show, but really?

Rosenhaus is the same agent who got into an almost fistfight here years ago with another agent over allegations he was trying to poach that agent's player. And this is a united group?

I know why they're playing it that way: The agent community is in big financial trouble if there is a lockout of the NFL players in their fight to get a new CBA.

Some have estimated that half of the registered agents would go out of business.

That seems high, but you never know.

The four who joined together to show they backed the NFLPA aren't among that group, but even they would feel the financial sting, according to sources.

Let's not get carried away with this gesture. If you think the agents are unified on anything, I have a plot of swamp land I'd love to sell you.

INDIANAPOLIS -- What continues to stand out about the combine is how little of the focus is actually on the incoming rookie players. Yes, the event is technically about them. And yes, teams are certainly paying close attention to those players. But so many people, both inside and outside the NFL, are here for the networking. The combine is as much a football convention as an actual scouting ordeal.

I spent Friday running from one Indy hotel lobby to another, meeting people from various teams. These meetings were off the record; a lot of front office execs are reluctant to speak without the permission of the general manager. The meetings only reinforced the impression that the rookie players are only part of the scene here. There’s a considerable “behind the scenes” focus on the business/financial side of the sport. There’s almost a casual approach to the combine events themselves.

This, of course, could be because we’re still yet to see any major workouts (only special teamers have gone thus far). Or it could just be the air these execs put off. Nevertheless, what many fans don’t realize is that teams’ draft ideas are deeply entrenched at this point. Obviously, nothing has been finalized yet. But a bulk of the scouting and preparation was done throughout the fall. Scouts are able to visit with college coaches and learn about players by speaking with people around campus. The combine interviews and workouts seem to be, as much as anything, about bringing the general managers and coaches up to speed. (The GMs and coaches, of course, have been busy with their own team and season the past several months.)

If you’re an agent, the combine is HUGE. Team execs and agents seemingly spend their entire time meeting with one another. It will be interesting to see how the mood of the event shifts once the name players actually take the field tomorrow.

INDIANAPOLIS – During his time in front of the media today at the NFL combine, former Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert was respectful and humble*, and when asked about Auburn QB Cam Newton, he had nothing but nice things to say.

*Also, his head of hair was awfully impressive.

“Cam is an explosive athlete,” Gabbert said in the video below. “He has all the talent in the world. We’re going to compete and fight it out and may the best man win.”

But he wasn’t quite as low-key in an interview on Sirius NFL Radio, via Pro Football Talk. That’s when he said he was a better quarterback than Newton.

“There’s no question,” Gabbert told Adam Schein and Rich Gannon. “I’m going to outwork everybody. My parents have raised me that nothing’s ever going to be given to you in life. You’ve always got to earn it. And that’s what I’ve applied to football and academics, that you’ve got to work for everything you’re going to get.”

I just wish he had said that when CBSSports.com had our cameras rolling.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Leslie Frazier's in Indy to check out prospective Vikings draft picks, the most important of which is probably whoever might step in to replace Brett Favre at quarterback.

But he also dropped some surprising news during his news conference -- Minnesota has extended a contract offer to wide receiver Sidney Rice.

"Our medical staff has assured us that he’s going to be fine and he’s going to be able to play and be productive for years to come and that’s how we’ve approached it," Frazier said. "That's one of the reasons that we extended him a contract and conversation about getting him a contract. So, we feel good about Sidney."

Chad Greenway was hit by the Vikings with the franchise tag last week, which opened up the strong likelihood that Rice could become a free agent.

However, Frazier's news is interesting in that it would appear Minnesota actually believes he's healthy enough to produce at the same level he did in 2009, despite some concerns that he wasn't 100 percent healthy even when he returned last year.

Rice would probably love to get paid before the CBA deadline, but it also seems he'll be interested in who's throwing him the ball if he stays in Minnesota. Frazier addressed that as well, pointing out that the Vikes will explore every option available to them -- free agents, veterans and draft picks -- in finding their next signal caller.